Edison refers all comment about power lines and plane crash to feds

First responders at the scene of a plane crash in Agua Dulce on Sunday Feb. 11, where 4 people were reported dead. Austin Dave/ The Signal

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Southern California Edison officials questioned about reports of power lines near the scene of last month’s fatal plane crash near Agua Dulce referred all official comment about the crash to federal aviation investigators.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board noted in their recently-released preliminary report that the airplane “impacted terrain adjacent to a series of power transmission lines about 2.5 miles southeast of Agua Dulce.”

A day after the fatal crash, The Signal asked Edison officials if the plane hit Edison wires?

On Feb. 16, Edison spokeswoman Susan Cox told The Signal: “Any inquiry into the Feb. 11 plane crash near Acton should be directed to the National Transportation Safety Board, the lead investigator.”

The Signal asked the same question of Edison officials Monday, in light of a NTSB preliminary report specifically mentioning the proximity of power lines to the crash site.

Edison spokeswoman Julia Roether, reiterated the utility’s response, telling The Signal: “All inquiries into the Feb. 11 plane crash near Acton should be directed to the lead investigator at National Transportation Safety Board.

In a telephone interview Monday, Roether was asked if Edison made repairs to any of its wires in Agua Dulce around the time of the crash. She said: “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it.”

When asked if efforts by Edison to fasten warning balls to power lines around the SCV in the days following the crash were scheduled work assignments or a response to the crash, Roether said: “I don’t have any information for you.”

On Feb. 11, an experimental amateur built Cirrus VK-30 airplane hit the ground while maneuvering in the vicinity of Agua Dulce.

The crash killed the pilot Thomas Gordon Hastings, 65, of Winnetka, and three members of his family including: his 27-year-old daughter Amber Hill; her husband, Jacob Hill, age 25; and the pilot’s 9-year-old granddaughter, Madison Hastings-Saxelby.

The NTSB report states: “A witness, located in the vicinity of the accident site and accustom to hearing/seeing air traffic reported that he observed the airplane flying straight and level, about 2,000 ft to 3,000 ft above the ground.

“He stated that as the airplane got closer to the mountains it looked like the wind had pushed the right wing up.

“The airplane pitched downward into a near vertical attitude.

“The witness added that, when the right wing lifted, it sounded like the pilot “maxed the engine out”.